facet joint and SI injections

facet joint bilateral at L3-4 and L4-5 and an SI injection have been suggested by a pm doc that was an independant med exam for my husbands workers comp case.

He has been out since 11-6-03 with torn and leaking discs at L3-4 and L4-5 and a larger bulge at L5-S1 as seen on MRI, discogram and CT. He had one caudal epidural block early on that did not help and our own pm doc said there was no need for further injections.

3 long rounds of PT and a bunch of crap later...the workers comp idiots sent us 350 miles away for an independant exam.

Now he has 14 recommedations that start with the shots and therapy back to square one as well as oral steroids and antidepressants to pile on to the already large amount of meds he already takes.

Please #1 if anyone can tell me their experience with those two types of injections...painful to get....etc...did they help?....

We are not interested in even one more stupid injection to mask or temporarily relieve the pain...it won't fix the torn discs...

And it won't make it possible for him to go back to work...he is a master carpenter, and an electrican and plumber, though not licensed for the latter two.

We have depositions to give this week to the opposing side and all I want to do is scratch the a-holes eyes out.

3 surgeons and our 2 treating docs have already said for ages that he can never go back to his former line of work and his restrictions are so tight and his back pain and instability wouldn't allow it anyway.

Hi there,I am alow back person as well with the same problems.I also have disk degeneration disease with my torn disks.I've had cortisone injections,prolotherapy inj. and lidocaine inj. These were very,very, very, painful and did nothing.Ihave also done PT.about 4 differnt times,accupuncture,I then got to graduate to a I-det surgery did nothing then 15 months ago I had a fusion and cage done I'm no longer able to work take care of my family or walk without a great deal of pain. Torn disks are nothing to screw with! I'm guessing that there independent doc.is not.Do not let the SOB's bulldose you and your hubby.i didn't tell you things to scare you some of them may very well work for hubby.I was sent back to work in the middle of my problems and it did a great deal more damage.So best of luck your in my prayers, and sock it to them
Misery